Filing-case.



W. ,'I. CALLAGHAN.

FILING CASE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. a1, 1910.v

1,021,090, Patented Mar.26, 1912.

Imm" 4 @A 4 cULUMnIA PLANOGRAPM Co..wAsHlNlJTuN. l1V c.

WILLIAM T. CALLAGHAN, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FILING-CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led August 31, 1910. Serial No. 579,860.

To all wk-0m t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. CALLA- GHAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filing-Cases, of which the .following is a specification.

This invention relates to a means for lockling a follower 1n its various pos1t1ons1n a filing receptacle.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved means for this purpose which is extremely simple, cheap to manufacture,

and is adapted to securely hold a follower in` any desired position in the receptacle.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical central section, showing a drawer and follower embodying the features of myf` invention. Fig. 2 is a section on line 24-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective viewA .mechanism in its loose and its locked positions, respectively.

My invention is herein shown as applied to a drawer for a tiling cabinet, although it should be understood that it is equally applicable to various other forms of filing cases, such as transfer boxes, card files, and in fact almost any iiling case where a follower is desirable.

In the form herein shown the drawer comprises front and end walls 1 and 2, side walls 3 and a bottom wall 4, said walls being secured together in any suitable way. If desired, the drawer may be formed entirely from sheet metal, the side walls 3 and the bottom wall 4 being bent up from an integral piece of the metal, although this construction is not essential to my invention. The upper edges of the side walls 3 are bent to form outstanding `flanges 5 which are adapted to' be engaged by the follower, as will be presently described.

The follower 6 has an angular flange 7 at its upper edge which continues in arms 8 extending outwardly over and resting upon the upper edges of the side walls 3 to support the follower, said arms'terminating in hooks 9 overlying the flanges 5 on the side walls 3. The hooks 9 and flanges 5 form an interlocking guiding means for the' follower. At the ends of the follower 6 are angular vertical flanges 10, each having a slot 11 therein near its upper end. Loosely mounted in said slots is a pair of members 12 and 13 having bent outer ends 14 adapted to engage the inner sides of the side walls 3. The inner ends of the members 12 and 13 are bent as shown at 15 and 16 and are provided with openings 17 and 18 adapted to receive a screw 19. Said screw extends loosely through the opening `18 and is threaded in the opening 17. A nut 20 threaded on the screw 19 between the ends 15 and 16 is adapted to be turned into engagement with the end 16 to hold the members 12 and 13 spaced at the proper distance apart.

When the members 12 13 are in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the follower 6 is freely slidable in the drawer. If it is desired to lock the follower in place, the inner ends of said members are raised into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. It will be seen that as the members 12 13 approach a position in which they both lie Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

in the same plane, the distance between their outer ends 14 will be increased, or in other words, said outer ends 14 will be spread apart and will be carried into frictional engagement with the side walls 3 of the drawer. In the present embodiment, in which the side walls 3 are made of sheet metal and are therefore yieldable, said side walls will be bowed outwardly slightly in this movement of the members 12 13, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, to carry the ilanges 5 into frictional enga ement with the hooks 9 on the follower. See Fig. 6.) As soon as the inner ends of the members 12 13 in their upward movement pass slightly above the position in which the members lie in the same. straight line, the pressure in said members, assisted by the inward pressure of the side walls 3, snaps said members upwardly into the dotted position in Fig. 2 and holds said y members in this position until manually released.

It will'be seen that each end of the fol lower is in engagement with the side wall of the drawer at two points, namely, at the outer end of one of the members 12 13 and at one of the hooks 9. The follower may thus be clamped very tightly in place at any desired point along the drawer sides. The screw 19 and nut-20 may be adjusted to obtain the proper relation of the parts in assembling the device and to vary the space between the ends 14 15 of the members 12 13 and thus'cause said members to engage the drawer sides more tightly or loosely when in locking position, as desired.

vI claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a filing receptacle having side walls and end walls, a follower movable lhorizontally therein and engaging one side of each of the two opposite walls of said receptacle, and two members supported near their outer ends by the side portions of the follower for sliding move-` -ment andito swing in a vertical plane adjacent to the rear face of the follower, the

inner end of each of said members being arranged v'to exert pressure against the inner end of the other member when said members are swung to project their outer ends' against the sides of the receptacle opposite to those engaged by the follower.

2. The combination of afiling receptacle; a follower movably mounted in said receptacle; a pair of members swingingly supported near their outer ends by said folllower,`the outer ends of said members being adapt-ed to engage opposite walls of said re ceptacle; and adjustable means connecting 'the inner'ends of said members, said members being adapted to be swung into position to carry said outer ends into engagement with said walls. Y f

3. The combination of a filing receptacle;

other member; and a nut threaded on said screw .between said inner ends, said nut bearing against the inner end of the second' mentioned member and determining the space between said members.

4. The combination of a filing receptacle havingside walls and end walls, a follower movable horizontally in said' receptacle and two members supported near their outer ends `by the follower for swinging move-l ment in a vertical-plane adjacent to the rearf face of the follower, the outer ends of said;- niembersbeing arranged to engage the walls of the receptacle, and the inner ends of said members being opposed to one another and connected together and arranged to exert f rmovable horizontally in said receptacle, and

two members each adapted to engage one wall of the receptacle, both of said members being carried by the follower and each arranged to exert pressure against the other to press it against the adjacent receptacle wall, one of said members being mounted on the follower to swing in a vertical plane adjacent to t-he rear face of the follower, so that said member may be swung into alinement with the other member.

6. The combination of a filing receptacle having side walls and end walls, a follower movable horizontally in said receptacle, and a pair of members swingingly supported near their outer ends by said follower for movement in a vertical plane adjacent to the rear face of the follower, the outer ends of said members being arranged to engage said receptacle, the inner ends of said members being connected for swinging movement and being arranged to exert pressure one against the other when the members are swung in one direction.

7. The combination of a filing receptacle, a followei` in said receptacle provided with a horizontal rearwardly extending flange at its upper edge, and a pair of members supported attheir outer ends by the follower 'below said flange for swinging movement in the adjacent inner ends of said members be-.

ing connected together to swing in unison,

' and each member being adapted to exert pressure against the other when swung into alinement.

9. The combination of a iling receptacle;

Va follower in said receptacle; an angular `flange at the upper edge of said follower,

said flange continuing in arms resting on opposite walls of said case and supporting said follower; interposing-guiding means on said Walls and followertvertical flanges at position to carry said outer ends into entneis of said oliower; a pairlof membelrl's gagement With said Walls.

si a mounte in said vertica an es,t e

outer eiids of said members being adaited to WILLIAM T' CALLAGHAN engage said opposite Walls; and. adjustable Witnesses:

means connecting the inner ends of said CHARLES E. CLEVELAND,

members, said members being movable into JARL S. SPROTT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

